The disciple didn’t seem amused. “If you’re too afraid to fight, then you have no place here,” he snapped. "I am Huan Fei, a senior disciple of the sect,” Huan Fei introduced himself. “"If you seek entry into our sect, you must prove your worth. It is our way. Do you dare to face me in a test of skill?"

Chen Yu rolled his eyes, but he knew there was no way out of this. “Alright, alright,” he said, smiling. He took a glance at the opponent’s cultivation realm with his Universal Eyes, and apparently, he was in the middle stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm, just like his senior sister.

But. . .he didn’t give off the same quality that she did. Ah, he seemed significantly older than his senior sister, and yet he was only in this realm of cultivation. So, this was his filler opponent. “But just so you know, I’ve already had one fight today, and I’m not really in the mood for another beating.”

Huan Fei sneered. “Foolish!”

The Azure Sky Sect gathered around, their gazes sharp with curiosity and challenge. The air was filled with an electric tension; everyone wanted to see how this newcomer would fare against Huan Fei, a respected Inner Disciple.

Huan Fei stepped forward, his expression confident and his aura imposing. His cultivation level was at the mid stage of the Foundation Establishment realm, something that he was quite proud of.

“You want to learn from us?” Huan Fei said, his voice dripping with disdain. “Then show us your strength, or be prepared to leave with your tail between your legs.”

Chen Yu grinned, his usual humor returning. “Alright, Senior Brother Huan Fei,” he replied, bowing slightly. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Huan Fei didn’t waste any time. “Whirlwind Blade!” he shouted, sweeping his hand forward. A crescent of wind energy formed from his palm, slicing through the air with the force of a gale.

Chen Yu yawned, sidestepping with ease. “That all you got, Senior Brother?” He stretched lazily. “Come on, don’t be basic.”

Huan Fei’s eyes twitched with irritation. “Arrogant!” He conjured more wind blades, but Chen Yu merely smirked, summoning one of his Earthen Orbs. It hovered beside him, spinning lazily.

“Orb, block,” Chen Yu commanded. The orb shifted into a sturdy stone shield, deflecting the wind blades like they were nothing. “Nice breeze you got there, bro,” Chen Yu taunted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Huan Fei gritted his teeth and lunged forward, fists glowing with energy. “Golden Lotus Palm!”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

“Oh, we’re naming moves now?” Chen Yu quipped, molding the Earthen Orb into spikes that shot toward Huan Fei’s path. Huan Fei dodged but barely, the spikes grazing his robe. “Careful now, don’t trip,” Chen Yu added with a wink.

Huan Fei snarled, channeling more Qi. His aura flared, wind swirling around him. “Dragon’s Fury Strike!”

Chen Yu sighed, shaking his head. “Again with the yelling.” He flicked his hand, and the Earthen Orb expanded into a wall, blocking the fiery strikes. Chen Yu couldn’t help but grin as Huan Fei’s punches landed futilely against the rock. “You’re hitting like a toddler, bro.”

Huan Fei backed off, panting. “How…? You’re not even taking this seriously!”

Chen Yu raised an eyebrow. “You’re right. Time to finish this.”

With a quick hand motion, Chen Yu morphed the orb into a fist-shaped boulder and launched it at Huan Fei. Huan Fei managed to block, but the impact sent him skidding backward, his feet digging into the stone.

Before Huan Fei could recover, Chen Yu smirked, summoning his next move. “Raijin,” he called softly. A spear of lightning materialized in his hand, crackling with energy, before he molded it around his fists and legs.

“Falcoooon~” Chen Yu couldn’t believe he was actually going to say it. “Punch!”

Huan Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief as Chen Yu arrived before him in an instant, and threw a straight punch to the liver. The Raijin struck, sending a burst of electricity through his body. Huan Fei collapsed to his knees, panting and shaking, the fight clearly over.

“Too easy,” Chen Yu muttered, walking over. He bent down, tapping Huan Fei on the forehead. “Next time, try not to be so... predictable.” He turned and walked away, the Earthen Orbs floating lazily by his side, as if the entire fight had been little more than a warm-up.

The disciples around them gasped in awe. Chen Yu, a mere Qi Condensation stage cultivator, had managed to push back a late Foundation Establishment realm disciple!

Chen Yu exhaled, feeling a wave of relief wash over him as Huan Fei stepped back, breathing heavily. For a moment, it seemed the fight was over. But as Chen Yu began to lower his guard, he noticed a dangerous glint in Huan Fei’s eyes, a mix of frustration and fury.

Huan Fei’s composure cracked, and he gritted his teeth. “You think this is over?” he growled, his voice filled with barely restrained anger. “I haven’t even begun to show my true strength!”

Without warning, Huan Fei’s aura flared violently, his Qi swirling around him like a storm. The air grew thick with spiritual energy, and a wave of pressure emanated from him, pushing the surrounding disciples back.

“Heaven Splitting Palm!” Huan Fei roared, channeling all his strength as an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator into his next attack. His palm glowed with a fierce, blinding light as he lunged forward, aiming straight for Chen Yu’s chest.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Chen Yu barely had time to react. The sudden surge of power caught him off guard, and he could feel the immense force barreling toward him. He tried to activate his Earthen Orbs to create a barrier, but he knew it wouldn’t be fast enough nor would it be strong enough to completely block this attack.

The impact was like a hammer blow. Chen Yu felt a searing pain explode through his chest as he was sent flying backward, crashing into the stone courtyard with a loud thud. His vision blurred, and he struggled to catch his breath, the wind knocked out of him.

“Huan Fei!” Li Mei’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding. She stepped forward, her eyes blazing with anger. “Enough! You’ve taken this too far, Junior Brother Huan Fei!”